Caleb McLaughlin from 'Stranger Things' just turned 17 and fans can't believe it

17 October 2018, 12:38

By Sam Prance

His real age has the internet shook...

It's no secret that we've been Caleb McLaughlin fans for ages. Ever since Stranger Things debuted on Netflix two years ago, Caleb has been one of the standout stars of the show. Not only does he play Lucas perfectly (who is lowkey one of the best characters in the entire series - fight me) but he's also hilarious in interviews and on social media. There's no denying that the beloved actor is a young king in the making.

How old are the cast and characters of Stranger Things?

However, it's his age that's confusing fans at the moment. In the first season of Stranger Things, Caleb plays a 12 year old. Lucas is the same age as his friends Mike, Dustin and Will. He then turns 13 in season 2 and we assume he will be 14 in Season 3. Caleb acts so well that most fans have assumed that he's the same age as Lucas but he's actually much older.

Yes, believe it or not Caleb just turned 17. Say what? The award-winning performer celebrated his birthday over the weekend on October 13th and Stranger Things viewers are shook. Of course it's pretty normal in the TV industry for actors to take on roles which are much younger than they are. Most teenage characters on hit shows like Riverdale are played by people in their mid 20s.

Still, usually when it comes to characters younger than 16, it's harder for older actors to get away with playing them. People grow so much in their early teens that the difference between ages is often too big for a 17 year old actor convincing play a 14 year old. And yet Caleb does it with ease.

To put things in perspective, Caleb's castmates are a bit younger. Finn Wolfhard (Mike) is 15, Gaten Matarazzo (Dustin) is 16, Noah Schnapp (Will) is 14 and Millie Bobby Brown (Eleven) is 14. Taking all of this into consideration, it's easy to see why fans are so shocked by Caleb's age.

Here are just a few of the reactions.

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A youthful legend.